Kaycee Young's Story

Hello, my name is Kaycee Young and I am CHD warrior. 

I am honored to be writing this as a heart warrior. It is a badge that I proudly wear. 

When I was born, my parents were told I had a functional heart murmur and that it would not cause any issues. There was no monitoring recommended. Growing up, I would get migraines, salt/ice cravings, and had a hard time catching my breath but did not know that was not normal. 

When I was 16, I went to the pediatrician for what I thought was a basic sports physical. During my checkup my doctor noticed that my heart murmur sounded different. He sent me to a cardiologist in Lubbock to be safe, and that is where I learned I had a congenital heart defect called subaortic stenosis (SOS), which is a narrowing of the left ventricle's outflow tract below the aortic valve, restricting blood flow to the body. This would explain the symptoms I had as a child. The next few months were a whirlwind of appointments, anxious nights, and not being able to participate in sports. 

In December, I had my first open heart surgery. In this first surgery, they went in and cleared muscle growth out of my valve. They described it as roto-rooting. The valve was a bit blocked, so my blood was having to work really hard to pass through, which was causing backwashing and high blood pressure. I started blood pressure meds at age 16, as well. The recovery was tough, but I recovered well, probably due to being 16 and a rule follower. I had to start taking antibiotics after every time I went to the dentist since I still had backwashing.

 

All went well, and I spent the next 7 years going to college and falling in love with my husband. We were married in May of 2009, and at a routine checkup that same month, I learned I would be undergoing my second open heart surgery. This would be the same procedure as before, due to the first surgery not being aggressive enough in clearing all the growth and it coming back over these 7 years.   My husband was deployed to Iraq at the time, so he was allowed leave to be with me and help care for me. It was another successful surgery, and so far, all is still well. I will eventually have to undergo a valve replacement surgery, but we are hoping that is many years from now.
 

Currently, I am a mom to two beautiful little girls, and I am teaching third grade. I will soon be graduating with my masters in school counseling. Eventually, I will have to have a whole valve replacement due to two surgeries and my valve working so hard for so long. For now, I am living life to the full until that time happens. 

As a warrior, I want to say to you...Don’t give up on your dreams! You are worthy and loved. You matter. Your story matters.